Reflections on being the father of a boy with autism.
When things are crowded, bustling and noisy, C will often find a quiet place to relax. Such was the case this Sunday at a busy playground: C was having a ball running around and generally making merry when I think … Continue reading
Today is World Autism Awareness Day. Let’s take a moment to see things a little differently.
For my regular readers, I apologize for the shortage of posts lately. A lot is happening in life at the moment, most of it great, one thing bad (more on that in the near future), in addition to the usual … Continue reading
C has a sense of humor. A pretty good one, in fact. Most of his jokes involve some form of word play. For example, the other day he said he wanted to go down the apple stairway, and up the … Continue reading
I am happy to report that Lewis P. is okay!
Like many children with autism, C has sleep issues. Lately he’s been waking up in the middle of the night, completely out of control and unable to settle himself. Getting him to sleep has also been more problematic than usual … Continue reading
Above: a nighttime, deep sleep oxygen reading of 98% C has not had any supplemental oxygen in over a month, and he’s doing great! The school nurse checks his O2 levels every day, and we check them at night when … Continue reading
During bathtime, I brush C’s teeth while counting to 30; he knows that when I reach 30, we’re done. (Ah, the tricks we learn.) Last night when I reached 30, C perked up and said cheerily, “30, 30, 30!” I … Continue reading
Big news: C no longer needs supplemental oxygen! Above: an oxygen-free C. When C first got sick almost three years ago, we had no idea what was wrong. Neither did his pediatrician. After a few months of declining health without … Continue reading
Today was a good day. I took C to an evaluation with a psychologist, the objective of which was to test his cognitive abilities. The good doctor was very surprised — and a bit disappointed — that up to this … Continue reading
I can’t reveal too many details, other than to say that after a few setbacks, we’re making great progress on our autism app, and generating interest in some very exciting quarters. Thank you to everyone who has helped along the … Continue reading
Tonight during bath time I heard C saying, “I am Daddy!” When I investigated, I found him sitting at my desk wearing my glasses, pretending to type on my computer. This is great: he’s been doing more make-believe lately. These … Continue reading
If you ever feel down about humanity, visit C’s special needs swim class. There you will meet a few young people who do their jobs with great skill, respect, kindness, and patience. In fact, it will become clear to you … Continue reading
It’s a good thing this boy can make me laugh because, if I’m honest, I’ve been a little down lately. All will be okay, I know this, but in the meantime I’m quite grateful for C’s silly sense of humor.
C under the Manhattan Bridge
I didn’t notice it when I took the photo, but I saw it later: C is holding M’s hand. To me, this little gesture says so much, maybe more so because of its subtlety. It’s easy to think C isn’t … Continue reading
This post was originally published on Huffington Post for Father’s Day. When I learned we were going to have twins, I knew my journey as a father would be a little different. As if to prove the point, our boys … Continue reading
A special treat: this post was written by my wife. It’s an invitation to play. C offers me one of two cars he has in his hands. “Mommy plays black car.” Black car and red car cruise along the banister … Continue reading
Long before C’s official diagnosis we knew something was amiss; there were little signs, things that didn’t seem quite right. Nothing, however, that we couldn’t attribute to his being a sick boy with a rare lung disease. Then, around his … Continue reading
Yesterday we witnessed something amazing: C is able to sight-read some words, and then match them to images. (This is the first time C has done this exercise with his ABA therapist; ironically, the point of the exercise was to … Continue reading